The present application claims the priority of commonly owned German patent application Ser. Nos. 199 60 475.4 (filed Dec. 15, 1999) and 100 11 989.1 (filed Mar. 11, 2000). The disclosure of the above-referenced German patent applications, as well as that of each U.S. and foreign patent and patent application identified in the specification of the present application, are incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for gathering groups (e.g., blockshaped arrays) of commodities and for introducing the thus obtained groups into intermittently advancing receptacles. Examples of equipments which can be operated by resorting to the method and to the apparatus of the present invention are processing machines (such as packing machines) which are employed to mass produce packs of cigarettes or other rod-shaped commodities or products of the tobacco processing industry.
In a modern production line which is designed to turn out cigarette packs, groups or blocks or arrays of parallel rod-shaped articles (hereinafter referred to as cigarettes) are assembled in block forming units the contents of which are thereupon transferred into the receptacles of an intermittently advancing conveyor for delivery to the inlet of the packing machine wherein the groups are confined in envelopes (converted blanks) of metalic foil, paper, cardboard and/or plastic foil. As a rule, the thus obtained packs (e.g., those known as soft packs or hinged-lid packs) are thereupon confined in cartons each of which normally accommodates ten packs, and groups of thus filled cartons are confined in boxes each of which can accommodate, for example, twentyfive cartons and which are delivered to storage or shipped to the purchasers.
Numerous problems arise when the production lines employ plural packing machines or multiple-track packing machines. In either event, a modern packing machine of such character can process large numbers of arrays of properly grouped cigarettes. On the other hand, that part of a production line which gathers cigarettes into groups or arrays of, for example, twenty cigarettes each can turn out the groups at a rate having an upper limit. This is attributable in part to the force of gravity and in part to the presently known best mode of assembling discrete cigarettes into arrays; such mode involves causing cigarettes to descend by gravity sideways in upright or downwardly sloping ducts on their way into the group or block forming units where the cigarettes of an assembled group occupy predetermined positions relative to each other. It is not always advisable to propel the cigarettes sideways with a force exceeding the force of gravity because this could result in damage to (such as defacing of) the cigarettes so that the speed of sidewise downward movement of the cigarettes to the group or block forming units cannot exceed an upper limit. The speed of sidewise downward movement of cigarettes is also affected by friction between the wrappers of the cigarettes and the surfaces of walls which define the ducts. Therefore, a modern high-speed packing machine (especially a multi-track packing machine) cannot operate at full capacity because the group forming station of the production line cannot furnish arrays of cigarettes at the rate at which such arrays can be wrapped into envelopes by the packing machine.
French patent application Serial No. 2.012.136 (published Mar. 13, 1970) discloses an apparatus wherein two block forming units are installed next to each other and each of which can gather groups or arrays of twenty cigarettes each at a frequency which is dictated by the force of gravity and by friction between the wrappers of the cigarettes and the surfaces bounding the ducts wherein the cigarettes descend sideways into the respective block forming units. In other words, the frequency at which the receptacles of the intermittently advancing conveyors, which transport finished groups to the packing machine, receive groups or arrays of twenty cigarettes each is not determined by the maximum possible speed of the conveyor and/or by the capacity of the packing machine but rather solely by the ability of the block forming units to gather successive arrays. Thus, there exists an urgent need for an apparatus (such as a production line) which can be resorted to in order to ensure that the capacity of the packing machine determines the frequency at which groups or arrays of commodities can be wrapped into packets or multiple-layer envelopes of paper, cardboard, metallic foil, plastic foil and/or other suitable wrapping materials.
An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of gathering groups or arrays or blocks of discrete commodities at a frequency which is determined by the requirements of the processing machine or machines rather than by the gathering or arraying equipment.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of meeting the requirements of modern high-speed (such as multiple-track) packing or other processing machines.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of supplying arrays of plain or filter cigarettes or other rod-shaped products of the tobacco processing industry to twin-track packing machines.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of and a novel and improved mechanism or apparatus for filling the receptacles of an endless conveyor with arrays of commodities, such as blocks of plain or filter cigarettes, at a rate exceeding that which can be achieved in accordance with heretofore known proposals.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a method which renders it possible to increase the output of a high-speed cigarette packing machine.
A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which can supply to one or more consumers arrays of discrete commodities at a rate exceeding that achievable with presently known apparatus.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved production line for the making of packs containing arrays of discrete commodities, such as block-shaped arrays or groups of rod-shaped products of the tobacco processing industry.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved group forming or arraying apparatus for use in conjunction with packing machines for rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved combination of a machine or apparatus for gathering arrays or groups of discrete commodities with a machine which packs or otherwise processes such arrays.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus which can meet the requirements of multi-track machines for the processing of arrays of discrete commodities, such as rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry in so-called quincunx and analogous formations.
An additional object of the instant invention is to provide an apparatus which constitutes an improvement over and a further development of those disclosed in the aforementioned published French patent application Serial No. 2.012.136.
One feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for supplying groups or arrays of commodities to a processing machine. The improved apparatus comprises group building means having a plurality of assemblies each including a plurality of group forming units each of which is arranged to gather a succession of groups, and means for transporting groups of commodities from such units to the processing machine.
The processing machine can constitute a packing machine having at least two tracks which are spaced apart from each other by a first distance. The transporting means of such apparatus can comprise a conveyor having a plurality of neighboring receptacles spaced apart from each other by distances each of which at least approximates the first distance. Each such receptacle is arranged to accommodate a group of rod-shaped articles (e.g., plain or filter cigarettes or other rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry). The transporting means of such apparatus can further comprise means for intermittently moving the conveyor by increments each having a length of m second distances (m is the number of tracks in the packing machine).
The group building means of the improved apparatus can include three assemblies, and each such assembly can include two group forming units.
Alternatively, the group building means can comprise two assemblies, and each such assembly can include three group forming units.
If the group building means employs two assemblies and each such assembly includes two group forming units, the units of each assembly are preferably spaced apart from each other by a first distance and the assemblies are spaced apart from each other by a second distance which is twice the first distance.
Each group forming unit can be provided with a fixed outlet (e.g., an outlet in the form of a mouthpiece) for groups of commodities.
The apparatus can further comprise an intermediate storage facility for each of the group forming units; each such facility is or can be movable between a first position for reception of a group of commodities from the respective unit and a second position for transfer of a group of commodities to the transporting means. At least one of the intermediate storage facilities can be installed in such a way that it is movable at least substantially vertically between its first and second positions. Alternatively, at least one of the intermediate storage facilities can be installed in such a way that it is movable at least substantially horizontally between its first and second positions.
If each of the group forming units is provided with a fixed outlet for successive groups of commodities, the improved apparatus can further comprise the aforementioned intermediate storage facility for each group forming unit and means for moving such facilities between first positions for reception of groups of commodities from the respective outlets and second positions best suited for transfer of groups or arrays or blocks of commodities to the transporting means. All of the aforementioned moving means are or can be at least substantially identical.
Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a method of supplying a processing machine with groups of commodities. The improved method comprises the steps of establishing a plurality of group building stations with at least two group forming units per station, repeatedly gathering groups of commodities in the group forming units of such group building stations, converting the groups which are assembled by the group forming units into a series of groups in a path leading to the processing machine, and stepwise transporting the groups of the series along such path to the processing machine.
The processing machine can constitute or include a multi-track packing machine for rod-shaped commodities of the tobacco processing industry. The tracks of such packing machine are or can be spaced apart from each other by a first distance, and the transporting step can include advancing the groups of the series through second distances m times a first distance (m is the number of tracks in the packing machine).
The converting step can include simultaneously transferring into the path assembled groups of commodities from all of the group forming units of all of the group building stations.
Alternatively, the converting step can include simultaneously transferring, from one station at a time, into the path all of the groups assembled at the respective station.
Still further, the converting step can include simultaneously transferring all of the groups which are built at the group building stations.
It is also possible to select the converting step in such a way that it includes delivering to the path groups of commodities subsequent to completion of pairs of successive stepwise transports of groups along the path.
Still further, it is possible to select the converting step in such a way that it includes transferring groups of commodities from one station at a time in accordance with a predetermined pattern, e.g., first from one station, thereupon from another of two stations, thereupon from the one station, thereupon from the other station, and so forth.
The number of stations can equal two, and each station can comprise three group forming units.
Alternatively, the number of stations can equal three and each station can comprise two group forming units.
The converting step can include expelling groups of commodities through stationary mouthpieces of the group forming units into discrete mobile storage facilities, and thereupon transporting the storage facilities from the respective mouthpieces to the aforementioned path.
The packing machine can constitute an updated version of the packing machine known as COMPAS 500 packer.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved apparatus itself, however, both as to its constriction and the modes of assembling and operating the same, together with numerous additional important and advantageous features and attributes thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain presently preferred specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.